small world.
A week or so ago, Ruth and I were winding our way through the Flavian Amphitheater in Rome (you probably know it as “The Colosseum”) when we overheard two American women greeting each other in surprise - apparently they knew each other, but did not know that they were both going to be in Rome, and apparently ran into each other while waiting to get in. At hearing this, I wondered if there were any people in Rome that Ruth or I might know, also in Rome but unbeknownst to us.
The next day, I got an answer.
While waiting to get into the Vatican, I saw a woman that looked like a girl I went to high school with (a few years younger than me). I wasn’t certain if it was her, but then I saw her talking to an older woman (her Mom, it turned out) who looked just like the girl’s older sister (a year ahead of me.) After a few minutes of deliberation, I approach the woman and her husband and said “Excuse me, are you guys from Virginia?” They didn’t look alarmed - but curious. “Yes”, they replied. I asked the woman “Did you go to Park View?” Her eyes got wide, at first startled and a bit confused, then the shock of recognition appeared - I was right! It turns out she still lives in the area (South Riding) and happened to be in Italy on vacation with her husband and her mother. Small world!
So, if I ever go to Rome again, I will always be left wondering who else is traipsing about the city that I might know.
